Elemental
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: June 16, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 45 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
23
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithJun 16, 2023
The pair’s growing fascination for each other is as unmistakable as the beauty of their surroundings, and so a film about inanimate elements turns out to be a delightfully human love story. Read full review
90
The New York TimesAmy NicholsonJun 15, 2023
The staggering design ambition balances out the plot’s affecting, relatable ordinariness. Read full review
80
CNNBrian LowryJun 15, 2023
Elemental doesn’t quite join the studio’s hallowed top tier, but it does yield moments of magic and beauty – reflecting both the immigrant experience as well as the power of love – worthy of that legacy. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicKaely MonahanJun 14, 2023
On the surface, the story might feel rote. But Pixar’s crew has returned to what it does best: Exposing the deepest feelings of the heart under the guise of everyday emotions. Ember and Wade’s relationship is both "Romeo and Juliet," but also the story of many immigrant families. Read full review
79
The Film VerdictAlonso DuraldeJun 16, 2023
Visual delights, a sweet love story, and that potent Pixar sentimentality carry this animated feature past a periodic table's worth of script flaws. Read full review
75
The Daily BeastAllegra FrankJun 15, 2023
Although it doesn’t come close to reaching Nemo’s heights (very few films, animated or otherwise, can), Elemental neither needs nor tries to, mostly to its own benefit. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJun 14, 2023
Although the film provides material for adult viewers to chew on, it is not as deep or thoughtful as some of the Pixar classics. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshJun 14, 2023
She’s spunky and hot-headed, he’s sweet and adorable — if they touch, it could be a disaster, but somehow, their chemistry just works, bringing the charming “Elemental” to a lively roiling boil. Read full review
75
TheWrapBen CrollMay 27, 2023
With story beats and character turns that strain well beyond familiarity, Elemental matches formal adventure with storytelling timidity. Here is a new spin on the old formula, livened up by advances in technology and delivered with real artistry. The film is full of complex and volatile parts, all held together in the most elemental of containers. Read full review
75
IndieWireSiddhant AdlakhaMay 27, 2023
Despite its confused and overstuffed worldbuilding, “Elemental” has enough charming moments to get by, even if its meaning lies less in its ill-conceived immigrant saga, and more in the personal drama that lives a few layers beneath it. Read full review
74
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzJun 13, 2023
Heartfelt in tone, imaginative in scope and rendered with a seemingly endless well of aesthetic wit, the romantic-comedy is a worthy addition to the Pixar canon … until the characters start speaking. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineJason GorberMay 30, 2023
Elemental may not rise to the heights that Up soared to, but the ingredients of Elemental combine in ways that are both satisfying and even moving. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleAlejandra MartinezJun 15, 2023
Elemental is thoughtful, visually interesting, and emotionally compelling, even if it doesn’t all gel together all the time. When the clunky story falters, the vision and dedicated vocal performances of the cast carry it through, and give Elemental real heart. Read full review
65
Film ThreatAlan NgJun 16, 2023
The gags are a series of really lame dad jokes, and it’s missing the awe and wonder that will delight children and adults. Read full review
63
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJun 15, 2023
The love story is nice, but Ember and Wade’s relationship also goes from zero to 60 awfully fast. There have been many a romance told inside of two hours, but these guys’ instant gushiness is awkward and doesn’t ring true — even for CGI blobs. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJun 14, 2023
Cute, kind of clever and oh, so topical. But also problematic. Read full review
63
USA TodayBrian TruittJun 14, 2023
The storytelling suffers from the weight of that ambition, though Elemental at least pulls off fun world-building a la “Zootopia” with a city where the residents – of fire, water, earth and air persuasions – reflect four different cultural groups and ethnicities and don’t always get along. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonJun 14, 2023
With its preachy, dull love story between a boy made of water and a girl on fire, Elemental should have been called “Guess Who’s Coming to Disney.” Read full review
63
The Associated PressJake CoyleJun 14, 2023
Opening on the heels of raging wildfires, Elemental manages to be a movie about fire and water without even a passing reference to today’s climate realities. Missed opportunities abound. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJun 14, 2023
So why does Elemental feel so flat for much of its running time? Here’s why: It just isn’t very funny. The best Pixar movies blend humor with pathos; having just half of the formula leaves us with just half of the impact. Read full review
63
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenJun 11, 2023
The unsung hero behind the best Pixar films is the story—the nuanced, inventive, resonant-for-all-ages narrative that provides a foundation for the indelible characters and dazzling animation. Elemental feels like a Pixar first draft, in story terms. Read full review
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